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Brown walked the same line as Obama (and that’s a good thing)

In the Presidential election I was disgusted with the Christians who let themselves be wooed by Obama’s muted stance on abortion. “Let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let’s reduce unintended pregnancies. Let’s make adoption more available,” Obama said at Notre Dame.(source) I wondered how any Christian could find this line acceptable? He walked a line that made him palatable to some pro-lifers, and yet his base knew that when he stepped off the line to take action, he would land firmly on the dark side.

It looks to me like Brown has successfully, brilliantly, done the same thing. I love a bold pro-life candidate, don’t get me wrong here. But really, could a staunch pro-lifer have won in Mass.? Probably not. That’s what I told myself when I sent him $100. I had checked into his views just enough to know that I liked him on just about everything but abortion. I knew the country needed him and I am elated that he won. But I was curious, so I did a quick search of his voting record and statements on abortion. You will find some links and quotes at the bottom of this entry. What I found was a man who looks pretty darn pro-life. I feel fairly certain that when he steps off the line and takes legislative action he will be standing shoulder to shoulder with the pro-life members of the Senate. And this gives me great comfort. His words didn’t brand him as pro-life, and thus scare away pro-choice voters, but you know, actions speak louder than words. Obama had great success walking that line, and Scott Brown was very smart to mimic that. It reminds me of a Bible verse all conservative politicians should follow:

Matthew 10:16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

Brown voted for a 2005 amendment to deny emergency contraception to rape victims. Brown voted for the bill after unsuccessfully trying to carve out a religion exception.

“Martha”, Brown said, “with all due respect, you wrote an editorial that anyone can go online and find where you actually criticized partial-birth abortion, the fact that it’s in fact not allowed. And we also have have a difference in that I don’t believe that federal funding of abortion should be allowed, and I believe in a very strong parental consent notification law.”

“While this decision should ultimately be made by the woman in consultation with her doctor, I believe we need to reduce the number of abortions in America,” he said.

Brown has angered abortion-rights groups with acts like his cosponsorship of the Women’s Right to Know Act, which would require a woman to wait 24 hours before having an abortion and to review pictures and information detailing the developmental progress of her fetus.